Lethal Injections Stall Executions In Tennessee, Nationwide

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court's decision to review the constitutionality of lethal injection procedures has slowed the annual number of executions to the lowest level in a decade amid renewed concerns about whether it's too cruel.

Tennessee is one several states in which courts have cited problems with the method in staying executions.

The high court yesterday blocked a planned execution in Virginia, 35 hours before the inmate was scheduled to die.

Fewer than 50 executions will take place this year, even if several states pushing ahead with lethal injections defeat legal efforts to stop them. The last time executions numbered fewer than 50 was in 1996, when there were 45.

Tennessee executed Daryl Holton last month, but by electrocution, not injection.

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